New WHO and ITU Standard: Essential Guidelines to Protect Gamers from Hearing Loss

Dr. Jérôme Salomon from the WHO reminds us that everyone can take steps today to protect their hearing health. The WHO/ITU safe listening standard aims to help governments, manufacturers, and communities create safe listening environments. This is especially important for video gamers, who might not realize the risks of loud sounds.

Video gaming is one of the biggest entertainment industries. With around 3 billion players worldwide, many enjoy gaming on computers, consoles, and mobile devices. Unfortunately, most of these devices don’t include features to protect users’ hearing. Prolonged exposure to loud sounds while gaming or listening to music can lead to permanent hearing loss. Children are particularly at risk because their ears are more sensitive and they often engage in longer gaming sessions.

The new safe listening standard aims to inform gamers about the risks associated with loud sounds. It also provides tips on how to listen safely while enjoying their favorite games.

Seizo Onoe from the International Telecommunication Union emphasizes that as gaming evolves, safe listening standards are crucial. They help protect users, especially children, from harmful sounds. Collaboration between organizations like the WHO and industry experts is key to developing these standards.

The WHO-ITU global standard for safe listening is designed to help all types of gamers, regardless of the devices they use. The standard offers guidelines for various devices, including consoles, mobile phones, and headphones, as well as recommendations for video game software.

• For gaming devices, the standard suggests:
• Tracking sound exposure to keep a record of how loud sounds are.
• Providing messages that inform players about their volume usage and when they might exceed safe levels.
• Creating user-friendly volume controls for easy adjustments.
• Implementing a “headphone safety mode” that lowers the volume automatically when switching from headphones to speakers.

• For video game software, the recommendations include:
• Adding warnings about the risks of hearing loss due to loud sounds during gaming.
• Offering separate volume controls for different sound effects, allowing customization of sounds within the game.
• Ensuring that game soundtracks adapt features to promote safe listening.
• Introducing a safety mode in the software that detects when audio output changes, reducing volume automatically.

This new standard is part of the WHO’s Make Listening Safe initiative. It draws on the latest research and feedback from a variety of experts, including government officials and industry representatives. The goal is to ensure that everyone, especially young people, can enjoy gaming without putting their hearing at risk.

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